The big day is just around the corner, so if you’re wondering where to buy Xbox Series S at launch, you’re not alone. We saw pre-orders holding their stock for much longer than the more expensive Series X over the first launch window, but with tomorrow offering up fresh stock of the $299 / £249 console we’re expecting shoppers to flock to the virtual shelves.
Microsoft has announced all the US retailers who will allow you to buy Xbox Series S on day one, and we’re bringing you all the UK stores likely to be offering stock tomorrow as well. That means you’ll want to keep a close eye on the retailers below for the latest updates. We’ll update this page with any new stock information as soon as we get it, so you don’t miss out on the Xbox Series S.
The Series S will hit the shelves at midday on November 10 in the US, with UK retailers set to open their virtual doors at 8am tomorrow.
There’s plenty of reasons why the cheaper Xbox is set to be so popular. Xbox Series X pre-orders cost an extra $200 / £200, so the super affordable Series S is uniquely positioned to appeal to a wide range of shoppers.
We’re rounding up everything you need to know about where to buy Xbox Series S right here, as well as going into more detail on exactly what you get for your cash in terms of specs, features, and the release date. You’ll find quick links to retailers offering early orders just below, with more information on previous stock levels further down the page.
Xbox Series S pre-orders: quick links
US:
UK:
- Very: pre-orders previously live
- Microsoft: pre-orders previously live
- AO: pre-orders previously live
- Amazon: pre-orders previously live
- Game: pre-orders previously live
- Argos: pre-orders previously live
- Currys: pre-orders previously live
- John Lewis: pre-orders previously live
Xbox Series S, previously dubbed ‘Project Lockhart’ costs $299.99 / £249.99 / AU$499. It’s the cheaper, digital-only alternative to the Xbox Series X. Yes, Microsoft is releasing not one but two next-gen consoles this year.
It’s worth noting, however, that certain features like 4K gameplay aren’t available from cheaper Xbox Series S pre-orders, as that lower price tag makes way for less powerful specs in the budget model.
This disc-less, next-gen Xbox Series S specs are, however, substantially more powerful than the (now discontinued) Xbox One S All-Digital console, and the CPU, GPU and solid state disc drive storage only trail what you’ll get from the Series X.
Where to buy Xbox Series S in the US
Best Buy
Best Buy held its own in Xbox Series S pre-orders all those weeks ago, but its site struggled to keep up with demand. Once stock drops, then, we’d recommend you keep trying here as competition is going to be high.
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Microsoft
If you want to buy Xbox Series S through the All Access scheme, Microsoft is your best bet. You can pick up the console through a $24.99 per month payment plan, or pay outright straight away. Stock held a little stronger here last time as well.
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Amazon
Amazon had a good supply of Xbox Series S consoles up for grabs in the pre-order phase, so your chances of buying the cheaper console here are pretty strong. You’ll still want to be fast, though, as there’s no telling how things will run on the day.
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Newegg
If you’re looking to buy Xbox Series S at Newegg, you’ll want to be quick as the previous rounds of pre-orders sold out much quicker here than they did at other retailers.
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Walmart
Walmart is a massive retailer, but they’re not so gaming focused as to draw hordes of expectant gamers. When Xbox Series S pre-orders launched, we saw flickering stock showing up with frequent refreshes, so don’t be afraid to keep reloading this page if you don’t see any units available.
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Xbox Series S pre-orders in the UK
Very
Very is the most recent retailer to offer Xbox Series S stock in the pre-order phase. What’s more you might be more likely to pick up a higher value order here, as Very reserves stock to be sold alongside more expensive peripherals. If you’re willing to go all out on your next console purchase, then, you might have some luck here.
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Amazon
Amazon is likely to have a good supply of Xbox Series S stock at launch, which means you’ll want to hop on here for a speedy pick up at 8am. Competition is going to be high though so we wouldn’t sleep in for this one.
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Microsoft
Why buy Xbox Series S through Microsoft? Well it’s your best bet for jumping on the All Access scheme – a program that allows you to pay for your new console in low monthly instalments rather than all at one. We saw stock holding out pretty well over the pre-order period but you’ll still want to move fast here.
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Currys
Currys hasn’t refreshed its Xbox Series S order page since that first release window, though we’d expect more stock to be available tomorrow.
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John Lewis
The Xbox Series S was difficult to find on John Lewis during the pre-order window, but the retailer was named by Microsoft so units are on their way. Not only that, but you might even be able to take advantage of John Lewis’s excellent warranty guarantee scheme here as well.
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AO
The option to buy Xbox Series S from AO has now disappeared, but don’t fret it’s likely to come back in time for tomorrow’s 8am release. Not only that but, like Very and Game, AO does also offer higher value bundles. You’re not saving any cash, but it’s a way of securing a console alongside other peripherals that carry a higher price tag.
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GAME
Game went live with its next-gen console pre-orders a little earlier than planned, which made for an exciting midnight but let those who missed out down. We might see a similar thing happening this time around, so make sure you’re ready to buy Xbox Series S at midnight in case Game decides to jump the gun again.
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Xbox Series S release date
Microsoft has confirmed that the Xbox Series S (previously known as Project Lockhart) is indeed real, and that its digital-only next-gen console will arrive on Tuesday, November 10, 2020.
That means the new Series X will launch right alongside the more expensive Xbox Series X – both coming right before Black Friday 2020 on November 27. Check out our unboxing video below to see the Xbox Series S in all its glory.
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Xbox Series S price
Microsoft has quashed the endless speculation over the Xbox Series S price, revealing that the console will retail for $299.99 / £249.99 / AU$499 via its official Twitter account. This falls in line with the Xbox Series S being a lower-cost alternative to the Xbox Series X.
If we compare it to the Xbox Series X’s price of $499 / £499 / AU$749, the Xbox Series S undercuts it significantly by $200. In the US, the Xbox One S‘s RRP was $100 less than that of the Xbox One X at launch, while the Xbox One S All-Digital’s launch RRP was $200 less than the Xbox One X’s. The Xbox Series S will be a tempting proposition for those looking to experience next-gen games without breaking the bank, then.
Xbox Series S on Xbox All Access
The Xbox Series S will also be available on Microsoft’s Xbox All Access subscription service in select regions, including the US, UK and Australia. Xbox All Access bundles together the console with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate on a 24-month plan (giving you access to the latter for the duration) at a price of $24.99 / £20.99 / AU$33 a month, with no upfront costs.
Xbox All Access is offered through various different providers, depending on your region, so if you’re in the UK or US you’ll want to check the official Xbox site for more details. If you’re in Australia, Xbox All Access is offered through Telstra, with pre-registrations open now.
Xbox Series S: specs
Microsoft has revealed exactly what its cheaper Xbox can do in the console’s official launch trailer, which you can watch below.
- CPU: Eight-core 3.6GHz (3.4GHz with SMT) custom AMD 7nm
- GPU: 4 teraflops at 1.550GHz
- RAM: 10GB GDDR6
- Frame rate: Up to 120 fps
- Resolution: 1440p with 4K upscaling
- Optical: No disk drive
- Storage: 512GB NVMe SSD
The Xbox Series S is up to 60% smaller than the Xbox Series X, making it the smallest Xbox ever made. Games will target a resolution of 1440p instead of 4K on Xbox Series X, and will be capable of 120fps.
There’s also support for ray tracing, 4K media playback, 4K game upscaling, variable rate shading and variable refresh rates – same as on Xbox Series X. The console is all-digital, meaning there’s no disc drive, and has a custom NVME 512GB SSD.
If you’re worried about running out of disk space, Microsoft is also releasing a 1TB expansion card. An external hard drive can also be used to store Xbox One games and backwards-compatible titles.
The Xbox Series S will also support Spatial Sound, including Dolby Atmos, and Dolby Vision via streaming media apps at launch. Dolby Vision support for gaming will also come first to next-gen Xbox consoles in 2021.
Xbox Series S: a digital gateway
The Xbox Series S will primarily act as a digital gateway for both Microsoft’s game-streaming service, Project xCloud, and its ever-growing Xbox Game Pass service (which now also includes EA Play for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate and Xbox Game Pass for PC subscribers).
Project xCloud aims to leverage Microsoft’s existing data centers across the globe, literally loading up servers with the component parts of multiple Xbox One consoles, and using these to run the games streamed directly to your mobile device of choice.
This means that gamers will be able to play the likes of Halo Infinite, Forza and other classic console and PC big hitters on their phones, tablets or Windows 10 computers.
Meanwhile, Xbox Game Pass is essentially a Netflix for games, allowing subscribers to access lots of Xbox games digitally. The service has grown massively since its launch in 2017, boasting over 10 million subscribers.
Services such as Project xCloud and Xbox Game Pass prove that physical discs aren’t always necessary, with Microsoft offering plenty of content for those who choose to go digital-only. Xbox Series S will undoubtedly take this initiative into the next generation, proving that these services alone can support a next-gen console.